Don seeks African rebranding

A professor of Sociology and Criminal Justice, Virginal State University, Nana Derby, has advocated a rebranding of African identities to free the continent from Western domination.

She spoke on the theme: ‘A deconstructionist alternative in post-development Africa at the 42nd public lecture of Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State last Friday.

She said Africa must embrace the developmental philosophy of the founding fathers that fought for her freedom.

“I do not in any way advocate the secession of African nations from the world system,” Derby said, adding: “rather, I endore the optimism of the African-centred growth and development that the men and women who spearheaded our freedom instigated.

“How do we establish the foundation so proclaimed several decades ago, and what identities do we project for ourselves. Who speaks for Africa? And how do we build that Africa capable of managing her own affairs?”

She continued: “The attainment of political independence and the choices of dependency and modernisation plunged us deeper into the world system, not as equal partners, but as dependants and champions of the periphery noted for subservience, deprivation and vulnerability. In economic terms, our dependency and peripheral locations were suggestive of long-term trade imbalances, deficits, and limited foreign exchange earnings, Derby added.

Derby noted that over the last 50 years, Africa’s dependence on Western aids has done her more harm than good, despite that she can tap on her inner deposits to better her lot.

” For over 50 years, Africa’s dependence on foreign aid has been detrimental: yet the continent failed to advocate locally acquired programmes fitting valuable tour citizens and judiciously centred on our unique characteristics,” the don said.

To add more salt to the injury, African leaders made themselves tools for the emergence of sustenance of African’ s negative and poor economic performances which are detrimental to the continent’s growth. She lamented that heavy dependence of African nation on Western countries had been attributed to dysfunctional Institution, bribery, mismanagement and misappropriation of state funds.

”Unfortunately, the funds are misappropriated or siphoned illicitly into personal venture, leaving the states with very little to show for their mounting debts,” she said.

“African nations need to step out of the perpetual modernisation and dependency-driven development to usher herself into the post-development era of self-reliance,” Derby concluded.